Apple iPad data breach loses 114,000 customer details

iPad 3G owners in the U.S. are in fear of their privacy after network provider AT&T suffered a security breach losing the details of over 114,000 iPad owners.

High profile personalities such as the White House’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg and film mogul Harvey Weinstein are all believed to have lost private information in the data breach.

Taking advantage of a loophole in AT&T’s security systems, security firm Goatse Security accessed the database of iPad 3G data plan holders before alerting the network provider to the risk. AT&T has since addressed the vulnerability in their system.

It is believed, however, that part of the data list, including customer email addresses and the unique ICC-ID numbers used to match SIM cards to specific users were shared with third parties before the security flaw could be amended.

The 114,000 customers now at risk of extensive spam marketing and malicious hacking includes thousands of senior military officials, political advisors and media executives.

AT&T, which currently holds exclusive rights to the Apple iPhone and 3G versions of the Apple iPad in the States, has acknowledged the leak stating: "AT&T was informed by a business customer on Monday of the potential exposure of their iPad ICC-IDs," said the company in a statement.

"The only information that can be derived from the ICC-IDs is the email address attached to that device. This issue was escalated to the highest levels of the company and was corrected by Tuesday; and we have essentially turned off the feature that provided the email addresses.”